Howard under house arrest

Canberra Wednesday, 19 March, 2003 : John Howard has been placed under ˜house arrest™ by Greenpeace, dressed as United Nations blue berets. Howard™s action of committing Australia to war in Iraq was found to breach articles 2(4), 42 and 51 of the UN Charter.

Under these articles UN member states œare to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State. Force may only be used if specificially approved by the Security Council or in self defence when a threat is immanent.�

At 6am this morning 3 vehicles carrying UN insignia blocked all access points to The Lodge, confining the Prime Minister to symbolic house arrest. Greenpeace volunteers dressed as UN personel posted themselves at the gates and locked themselves onto the vehicles.

œThere simply is no legal basis for individual UN members to take military action without UN approval,� said Greenpeace campaigner Shane Rattenbury.

œJohn Howard has engaged in legalistic cherry picking from earlier resolutions, to justify a war that has not been authorised by the majority of the UN Security Council or even the majority of its permanent members,� Rattenbury said.

Greenpeace is reinforcing the message given to John Howard loud and clear by more than half a million Australians who marched in recent peace rallies.

œIt™s not too late “ Federal Cabinet must reverse yesterday™s decision to commit Australian troops to war in Iraq and bring Australia™s troops home,� concluded Rattenbury.

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